Character Struggles...

Gentle Lamb said:

How do I overcome bitterness in my character due to the negative experiences I've been through, so many of which have been with Christians?

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There is only two things you can do:-
Hand it over to God, tell him all about it, pour out your frustrations, bitterness, sadness, disapontments to God for him to deal with.
and
Praise God for all that is good in your life, for all he ha done for you, as well as pray intelligently for those who have hurt or disappointed you.


It is only through giving these things to God that we can open our selves up to the influence of his spirit and start to change.

I'd add a third. If the joy of working with children has died, "welcome to the club" as they say.

Teachers all across the country are saying the same thing, and it's because society has changed and the children with it.

BUT the third point is to switch your involvement with children to some other situation. You probably don't feel that you can just walk away from your classroom work because you need the employment, etc., but you may well be able to restore that joy and satisfaction by finding some other, related work (probably unsalaried, I know) such as Sunday School superintendent, Girl Scout leader, whatever.

Gentle Lamb said:

I believe am struggling with bitterness. I've been reflecting on what I have been through in the past few years in my walk with Christ and I think that my character has been negatively affected. I was thinking about the fruits of the Holy Spirit, meditating on the Word of God, and I know I want and need to see more of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in my life. I know that sometimes we can be our own worst critics... but I've been through a lot and it has even changed the way I relate in my career (teaching)... I've lost my joy at working with children. Most of that reason is because they usually don't listen to me, which makes me upset and then I yell and then I'm even more upset because I hate to yell and be upset. I'm praying that God will restore that joy to me. How do I overcome bitterness in my character due to the negative experiences I've been through, so many of which have been with Christians?

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Beloved one, we must understand that our Lord didn’t want us to be held captive by thoughts of bitterness or a spirit of bitterness.

For we heard:
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭10:4-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved one, let us perceive and understand the grace of our Lord, that apostle Paul spoke that we heard being ready to punish all disobedience when our obedience is fulfilled.

Beloved one, we have been disobedience by holding bitter thoughts or offensive thoughts that exalt itself against the knowledge of God, so let us bring our every thoughts to obedience of Christ.

For we also heard:
“Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:6-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved one, don’t be bothered that we were called wicked, but let us be grateful that the Lord grant us the strength to forsake our unrighteous thoughts, and that He will have mercy on us and will abundantly pardon us.

Beloved one, we must also consider what our bitterness did to us.

For we heard:
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Let us lament, weep and mourn that our bitterness or iniquities have separated us from God ; and our bitterness or sins have hidden His face from us, so that He will not hear our prayers.

Beloved one, let us consider David who have suffered and found grace before God. This is what we have heard :

“When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When David kept silent, or when David didn’t pray, he said spiritually that his bones grew old through his groaning all the day long.
For day and night the Lord’s hand was heavy upon him; David’s vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah ( This he reflected ).

So what David didn’t pray about ?
This is what we heard what David should pray and eventually prayed:

“I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

How do I know that David prayed this ?
This is what we have heard :
“For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved one, are you considering that you are not godly to pray this prayer, consider David who have suffered and realize what he should pray and eventually pray. After he prayed, this is what David believed that he received from God:

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved one, pray like David and believe like David who have obtained God’s loving kindness and tender mercies.

This, also, he has prayed:
“Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved one, let us believe that Jesus washed us thoroughly from our iniquities and cleansed us from our sin. This, our Lord has done for us, according to His loving kindness and multitude of His tender mercies.

How we can be assured that we are forgiven?
Let us remember the condition that Jesus set up for us:
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, -Matthew 6:14
but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. -Matthew 6:15

Beloved one, let us ask the Lord to give His strength to daily release forgiveness to those who wronged us. And we release the forgiveness. And we shall be assured that our Heavenly Father have forgiven our trespasses.

Beloved one, are we concerned about those who also may make us bitter again. Let us hold our tongue and let our thoughts be pure, that we guard according to the Lord’s ways. Let us run to the cross of Christ, weep before Him, and let us take refuge in Him.

For this we heard:

You would shame the plans of the poor, but the LORD is His refuge. -Psalms 14:6

The word “poor” can also mean afflicted.

Though others may shame us with afflictions, beloved one, let us trust the Lord is our refuge. He will defend us, and He is our righteous judge.
Beloved one, let us behold that the Lord’s hand and His ear, hear us.And that He didn’t hide His face anymore but show us favor.

Beloved one, let us stand in the freedom that Christ has set us free from bitterness or unforgiveness.

For we heard:
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. -Galatians 5:1

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. -Galatians 5:13

Having this freedom, beloved one, let us through the love of Christ serve one another.

To God the Father be thanksgiving through Christ. Amen

Well, God's word does agree that we need to not go along with bitterness; but God also wants us to get into His way of loving, instead >

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)

In order to do this, we need how God alone is able to change our character so we are living in His love. And His love has us being "tenderhearted" and forgiving kindly and generously "even as God".

So, I would say we all need to keep trusting our Father to change us so we become immune to bitterness, plus we are caring and sharing as His family.

Gentle Lamb said:

I believe am struggling with bitterness. I've been reflecting on what I have been through in the past few years in my walk with Christ and I think that my character has been negatively affected. I was thinking about the fruits of the Holy Spirit, meditating on the Word of God, and I know I want and need to see more of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in my life. I know that sometimes we can be our own worst critics... but I've been through a lot and it has even changed the way I relate in my career (teaching)... I've lost my joy at working with children. Most of that reason is because they usually don't listen to me, which makes me upset and then I yell and then I'm even more upset because I hate to yell and be upset. I'm praying that God will restore that joy to me. How do I overcome bitterness in my character due to the negative experiences I've been through, so many of which have been with Christians?

Click to expand...

For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (eph 3)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (3ph 4)

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.(2 cor 4)

Ask God to forgive you of your pride.
Ask God to teach you humility.
Walk in humility and you will receive Grace which will turn your bitterness into love.

Teaching is an extremely honorable profession yet has become highly stressful in today’s social climate. Be kind to yourself and do what you need to do to succeed in life.